Baseball gets Bakich first win in style: 9-1 over Fordham

After losing each of their first three games by only one run (two games in extra innings), the men broke out the bats in Port St. Lucie for the first victory under the new coach.

Sophomore James Bourque (Ann Arbor, Mich./Huron) earned the win on the mound, scattering six hits and allowing just a run with four strikeouts in 5.2 innings. At the plate, junior Michael O'Neill belted his first home run of the season, a three-run shot to left in the eighth inning. O'Neill joined senior Patrick Biondi with two hits on the day, as Biondi drove in and scored a pair of runs.

The schedule just says "Mets." But it is spring training, so maybe a mix? (Any insiders know more?) We obviously have a connection with Wilpon, and the new pitching coach (Sean Kenny) played in the Mets organization before he started coaching.

EDIT: Beat me to it, Skip.

2ND EDIT IN SHAME & HUMILIATION: Meant to edit the OP to add "some of" (those Mets) and accidentally hit the upvote button! I will crawl into my hole now.

The last few years, the Mets starters did just that. They play a few innings (like any other ST game) then in to the back ups and non roster invitees. I remember UM giving up a two run HR with 2 outs in the ninth and settling for a tie a couple of years ago. It's only about an hour for me, so I try to go every year. Spring training is always a good time.

Michigan has played the Mets several times in the last decade--maybe 5 times in the last 10 years. Many MLB teams play an exhibition game against an NCAA team the first game of the exhibition season; the Tigers often play (I think) Florida Atlantic.

It's always a very typical early spring training game for the MLB team--starters will start, but will come out of the game after 1 or 2 at bats and 3 or so innings in the field. Pitchers never go more than 2 innings or so, but it's part of their regular workout schedule, so you will see a few major leaguers and a few minor leaguers.

In 2008, Mets relief pitcher Billy Wagner became extremely upset at Michigan's Kevin Cislo for laying down a bunt. Wagner was certainly a Major-League level player. A box score of the game shows major-league level starters, mostly replaced after 3 innings:

Don't forget, Aaron Heilman (an ND alum) gave up a homer to Michigan and had to sing The Victors. That game ended in a 4-4 tie I beleive. (I'm a mets fan, so I love that they do this. One day, I plan to go down to Port St Lucie for this game.)